10 Safety Tips to Follow as Students Head Back to School

Article Provided by Stephanie Clark | Crime Prevention Committee Chairperson

It’s almost time for the school bells to ring and students to return to their classrooms. The American Red Cross offers ten ways to help make sure your student is safe as they head back to school for the upcoming year.

     

      1. If your student rides a bus to school, they should plan to get to their bus stop early and stand away from the curb while waiting for the bus to arrive.

      2. Students should board the bus only after it has come to a complete stop and the driver or attendant has instructed them to get on. They should only board their bus, never an alternate one.

      3. All students should stay in clear view of the bus driver and never walk behind the bus.

      4. Cross the street at the corner, obey traffic signals and stay in the crosswalk.

      5. Never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.

      6. If children go to school in a car, they should always wear a seat belt. Younger children should use car seats or booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits properly (typically for children ages 8-12 and over 4’9”), and ride in the back seat until they are at least 13 years old.

      7. If a teenager is going to drive to school, parents should mandate that they use seat belts. Drivers should not use their cell phone to text or make calls and avoid eating or drinking while driving.

      8. Some students ride their bike to school. They should always wear a helmet and ride on the right, in the same direction as the traffic is going.

      9. When children are walking to school, they should only cross the street at an intersection, and use a route along which the school has placed crossing guards.

      10. Parents should walk young children to school, along with children taking new routes or attending new schools, at least for the first week to ensure they know how to get there safely. Arrange for students to walk to school with a friend or classmate.

     

    Parents of younger kids, especially those going to school for the first time, should make sure the child knows their phone number, address, how to get in touch with their parents at work, how to get in touch with another trusted adult and how to dial 911. Teach them not to talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don’t know.

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    DRIVERS, SLOW DOWN!

    Drivers should slow down as children head back to school. Know that yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is getting ready to stop and motorists should slow down and be prepared to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign indicate the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off.

    Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. This includes two and four-lane highways. If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.

    PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES Know what the emergency plan is at your child’s school in case a disaster or an unforeseen event occurs. Develop a family emergency plan so everyone will know who to contact and where to go if something happens while children are at school and parents are at work. Details are available at redcross.org/prepare.

    TAKE A FIRST AID CLASS Learn and practice first aid and CPR skills by taking a course so you can help save a life. Download the free Red Cross First Aid App for instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies whether it be before, during or after school. You can find it by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or at redcross.org/apps.

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    Civic League General Members Meeting Recap: Monday, April 14, 2025

    April 15, 2025 No Comments

    Our NEW registered agent, Grayson T. Orsini, a Senior Associate with Williams Mullen, spoke at our meeting to introduce himself and talked to the audience about what a registered agent does and how we can support the civic league moving forward.

    Officer Brenton Blakeslee, our Community Resource Officer, provided the latest crime report. He talked a bit about a “swatting,” a term used to describe when police are falsely called on a residence/person, in regards to a false call incident that had happened in the neighborhood earlier that morning. He also noted that car break-ins have been on a notable rise this month and to take ensure doors are locked and not leave valuables in plain sight. Officer Blakeslee also spoke about a minors curfew hour of 11pm in effect. Also he shared that while they are aware of the racing motor bikes/4-wheelers, but that they are not permitted by law to pursue offenders once in motion due to safety reasons, making it difficult to make arrests.

    Gene Ward, resident of Colonial Place and nominee for Civic League Vice President, introduced himself to the attending members and shared a bit about his background in community work.

    Upcoming Social Event: CPRV Easter Egg Hunt | 4/19 at 10am (Delaware/Colonial Circle) – Social gathering and Easter Egg Hunt for kids with some light refreshments provided. See CPRV facebook group page for more event details.

    Next Month’s Meeting: On May 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM, we will return to Kingdom Embassy Ministries.

    Reminder to Pay Your Dues: If you are interested in being a part of the civic league and want to support the efforts and service we provide to the community, please consider a membership. It is $10 per person under 65 and $5 per person 65+. Click Here to Learn More.

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